Skip to content

Information is now a commodity that can be bought and…

“Information is now a commodity that can be bought and sold, or used as a form of entertainment, or worn like a garment to enhance one's status. It comes indiscriminately, directed at no one in particular, disconnected from usefulness; we are glutted with information, drowning in information, have…” quote by Neil Postman
Download Open image
“Information is now a commodity that can be bought and sold, or used as a form of entertainment, or worn like a garment to enhance one's status. It comes indiscriminately, directed at no one in particular, disconnected from usefulness; we are glutted with information, drowning in information, have no control over it, don't know what to do with it.”

Neil Postman

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Information has become a commodity, pervasive and undifferentiated, overwhelming people and reducing control over its use.

In simple terms: Info is everywhere, cheap, and hard to manage.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate selective consumption and critical thinking.

Themes

information overload media society control commodification

Mood

concerned thoughtful

Type

critical philosophical

When to use this quote

  • news consumption
  • social media use
  • education
  • policy making

Key Concepts

attention economy digital saturation cognitive overload

Questions to Reflect On

  • What criteria should guide what we consume?
  • How can societies reclaim agency over information?
A Different Perspective

Information abundance can erode depth of understanding and agency.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Neil Postman

Explore all 220 Neil Postman quotes

More Commodity quotes

Browse all 673 Commodity quotes